So you've just landed in Japan, without having bothered to learn the language? Well, the first thing you should know, before setting forth on your loli-stalking and ramen-slurping adventure, are some basic tips for emergency situations - because we all know Japan has plenty of those: earthquakes, missile attacks, hell even alien invasions! Coming to the rescue of just such ignorant foreigners, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is now offering an online "Emergency Manual", through a newly opened "Help Card" website.

Said website ca also be viewed on mobile phones, most naturally, and it provides the main emergency telephone numbers for Japan in general (119 "in the event of fire, illness or injury", and 110 "in the event of crime or accident") and for the Tokyo area in particular, some basic tips in case of earthquakes, and several helpful phrases (in romanized Japanese) to scream and shout in emergency situations.

Girls need not worry about memorizing all those terms, however. When in trouble, (...)

The 2010 edition of the Tokyo Game Show - arguably the world's largest gaming expo, with a record attendance of 207,647 people this year (finally breaking the 200,000 mark) - came to an end today, after four days packed full of playful novelties. But since covering everything that was revealed and shown there is next to impossible, for any sole human being, I thought I'd keep things simple and immediately gratifying. In other words, let's just skip to the "booth babes" - or "companions", if you will.

If you only have time for a quick glance at the show's beauties, you can check Dengeki's final selection of booth babes photos, spread over three pages - here, here and here - and of course the show's traditional grand finale, where all the major companies' booth babes gather for one more delightful line-up - pictures (...)

An interesting gallery opened this weekend at the Tokyo Anime Center in Akihabara, called "Osamu Moet Moso". The interesting part being that the works displayed there aren't just some generic drawings of the late Osamu Tezuka's classic characters, but they're exquisite artworks oozing of "moe", thanks to the contribution of such recognizable artists as POP, KEI and Noizi Ito, among others.

The gallery opened on September 18 and will continue throughout October 11, luring visitors and contributing artists with the concept "Fantasize with Tezuka Osamu". Otaku2 already has a coverage of it, complete with photos of some of the works on display there (also ninja'ed below). And - best of all, I'd say - some insightful comments from "moe experts" like Honda Toru, exposing the late "god of manga" Osamu Tezuka as something of a moe artist, himself! Definitely a recommended reading, (...)

Another TV anime series set to begin airing in Japan from January 2011 is Dragon Crisis!, according to a recent Moon Phase Diary update. The strange bit is that this, too, is being created by Studio Deen, just like that other anime starting from January - Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? (see our previous story).

The source material for this upcoming anime is the Dragon Crisis! light novel series authored by Kaya Kizaki, featuring the above blue-eyed "dragon girl" named Rose. Its first volume appeared in January 2007, and since then 10 more volumes followed. The series is not quite over yet, however, as a 12th volume is currently planned for a November 2010 release in Japan.

The anime adaptation was announced not too long ago, but if this is the first time that you're bumping into it, here's the narrative rundown. (...)

With the opening of another official website for Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? a couple of days ago, it was announced that this upcoming TV anime series will begin airing in Japan from January 2011. At the same time, the following voice cast was also revealed: Iori Nomizu as Haruna, Junji Majima as Ayumu Aikawa, Hisako Kanemoto as Tomonori, Youko Hikasa as Sera, and Yukari Tamura as Yuu.

Careful with that pink chainsaw, Eugene! Or what's-her-name, Haruna.

On our part, the local Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? gallery gained a bunch of fanarts today, so feel free to familiarize yourself with its disturbing lolis. As a reminder, this anime adaptation was announced back in May, and Studio Deen is creating it based on a comedy / ecchi / harem light novel series authored by Shinichi Kimura, and illustrated by Kobuichi / Muririn.

AH-Software's family of Vocaloid characters - not to be mingled with Crypton's official and much more popular Vocaloids (Miku, Rin / Len, Luka) - has adopted another loli named Iroha Nekomura. Originally, she is one of 13 "kittyler" characters inspired by Sanrio's flagship mascot Hello Kitty, and drawn by various well-known artists such as POP (Moetan), KEI (Hatsune Miku) or Aoi Nishimata (Shuffle!).

Iroha's illustrator is okama, who unfortunately gave her a new look which is nowhere near as cute as the original. And her Vocaloid voice isn't particularly soothing, either, nor does it match her... like, at all. You can listen to a couple of her tunes over on (...)

This year's anime film Trigun: Badlands Rumble, which premiered in Japan back in April, is trying to attract Christmas shoppers with the inclusion of a two-part manga in its Blu-ray and limited edition DVD versions - set for a December 15 release there. As detailed on the official website (via ANN), the bundled manga is titled Gekijoban Trigun Bangai-hen: Dodongo Kyodai Honeycombed Village no Ketto, and it was drawn by the franchise's original creator Yasuhiro Nightow.

"Was drawn", and not "will be drawn", because this Dodongo Brothers manga was already published in Shounen Gahousha's Young King Ours magazine, just ahead of the movie's premiere. As compensation for this outdated bonus, the home video package will be adorned with an original cover illustration drawn by Nightow, and it will also include storyboards for deleted scenes, interviews, trailers, commercials, and other videos.

A few months ago, FUNimation announced their license for the Trigun anime film, (...)

Having taken a couple of years break, the Ah! My Goddess! anime franchise is ready to make a comeback early next year - albeit a timid one - with the release of a single-episode OVA. The new anime will be bundled on DVD with the limited edition Volume 42 of Kosuke Fujishima's long-running manga (and still ongoing, after over 20 years), better known in Japan as Aa! Megami-sama!. The release is set for February 23, 2011.

The upcoming OVA's theme song will be performed by fripSide (who previously sung the themes of To Aru Kagaku no Railgun and Koihime Musou), and director Hiroaki Gohda will helm the project, as he did with the other adaptations in this series, according to ANN's report. Opening a local Ah! My Goddess! gallery seemed like a good fit, with the heavenly loli Skuld reasonably well represented therein, of course.

With the Autumn 2010 anime season looming ever so closer, Crunchyroll is starting to unfold a rather exciting line-up of new titles that they will begin streaming next month - plus a bunch of older ones, as well. Through a few seemingly distinct announcements made today, they promise to begin simulcasting a total 7 new anime series, while also rounding up their online selection with 13 back catalog titles from Kadokawa Pictures.

More Resident Evil? Yes, please! Rather than easing our zombie-like hunger, this month's live-action film Resident Evil: Afterlife - again starring the perpetually-hot Milla Jovovich - has only left us drooling for more. Then again, she always has that effect... And when she ultimately won't anymore, her little girl will hopefully follow in her hollywoodian footsteps... Nnnghhh... Where was I?

Right, Resident Evil: Damnation. It's a newly announced 3D CG animation film coming in 2012 from Sony Pictures, as always based on Capcom's survival horror games franchise otherwise known as Biohazard. As the sequel to the 2008 CG film Resident Evil: Degeneration, this new one will see the return of Leon S. Kennedy as the main character.

Aside from this irrelevant detail, the only other thing revealed (...)